Logan Mize to play in Meade, Dodge

Logan Mize, and all his cousins, grew up working in his grandpa's grocery store in Clearwater, Kan. southwest of Wichita.

By Don Steele

Dodge City Daily Globe - Dodge City, KS

By Don Steele

Posted Jul. 12, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 12, 2012 at 11:11 AM

By Don Steele

Posted Jul. 12, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 12, 2012 at 11:11 AM

DODGE CITY

Logan Mize, and all his cousins, grew up working in his grandpa's grocery store in Clearwater, Kan. southwest of Wichita.

The story of how he ended up in Nashville well on his way to a promising career in the music business would make a couple of great country songs.

After graduating from Clearwater High School, Mize went to Hutchinson Community College on a football scholarship.

"It was all because of this girl, which was pretty stupid," Mize said in a phone interview with the Globe Wednesday.

After a semester, Mize transferred to Southern Illinois and played football.

"Then I realized it was time to stop living a lie. I was too mild-mannered to be a killer football player. I'm better suited for music and the arts," Mize said.

So he moved to Nashville.

"I didn't know how to get started, even the basic stuff, so I decided just to dive straight in," he said.

He had a guitar and some songs he'd written. And he knew one person in Nashville. So he got a job driving a dump truck and his buddy let him crash in his laundry room.

"I had a cell phone when I could afford to pay the bill so I'd work during the day then make calls at night," he said.

And he hit the open mic circuit, finally settling on a weekly gig at a place called Past Perfect along with whatever other clubs he could hit.

"I'd talk to the other musicians and kind of learned what not to do," Mize said. "So I got those first three years out of the way."

In 2009, he put out an independent album. And although he was pleased with the music, "I had zero idea about marketing or promotion." Still, the music gained some attention online and Mize eventually signed with Big Yellow Dog music producers and his latest album, "Nobody in Nashville," came out in March this year.

"We acutally hit 49 on Billboard the week it was released," Mize said.

Mize and Big Yellow Dog are a good fit.

"They're not corporate; they're independent. You can be as creative as you want. You have to sit through a meeting every once in awhile, but they're there to help you put your vision out there," Mize said.

Mize heads out from Nashville today to start a string of appearances across the midwest and south. In October, he'll be part of the Blake Shelton Carribean cruise.

Mize and his band will appear at Dalton Days in Meade this Saturday and he'll be back in Kansas for Dodge City Days.

Mize travels these days with three other musicians: a guitar player, bass player and drummer.

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"I sometimes take a 7-piece band out, with pedal steel and everything, but scheduling and budgeting are just so much easier with a smaller group, so I'm going to stick with that for now," he said.

Check out his web site for more information and for details on how to enter the Logan Mize Koozie Contest.

And when you're listening to his music, keep in mind that little grocery store in Clearwater.

"I can't wait to move back to Kansas," Mize said. "When you grow up there it's just home."